Drive-chain.



G. W. WILMOT & J. H/WESTON.

DRIVE CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, I913.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

2 SHEBTSSHBBT l.

IN VE N TOR Wzd Ari, I.

A TTORNE' Y G. W. WILMOT & J. H. WESTON. DRIVE CHAIN. [APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1913.

l 9 1 QZfiS Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

1 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VE N TOR$ A TTORN E Y I UNITE STATESWPATET anion GEORGE W. "WILMOT, OF HAZLETQN, AND JAMES H. WESTON, 0F TAMAQUA, PENNSYL- VANIA. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

Application filed January 11, 1913. Serial No. 741,404.

To alt-1117mm, it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. Wrmrotr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hazleton, county oil Luzerne, State of Pennsylvania, and JAMES H. W ESTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of 'lamaqua, county of Schuylkill, State of Pennsylvania, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in l)rive-Chains, of which the following is a specification.

)ur invention relates to improvements in drive chains comprising link members capable of being separated and disconnected as may be desired by reason of the fact that they are connected together by removable pintles onpivots.

Our invention comprehends the improved construction hereinafter described in the specfication and particularly pointed out in the clain1s. I

In order that the same may be more readily comprehended and understood we have illustrated convenient forms of embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings inwhich,-

Figure 1 is a view partly in -plan and partly in horizontal longitudinal section of one form of constructionof chai'n embodying our invention; Fig, 2 is a plan View of a portion of such a chain with the links and connecting devices in different relative .-posi tions; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4; is a plan view of a portion of chain with the links in a second dill'erent relative position; Fig. 5 isa side elevation" with certain of the links turned from the positions shown in Fig. l to positions at right angles thereto and moved inwardly of a link 'to which they are connected; Fl. 6 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal'longitudinal section showing-a portion of chain of modified construction. embodying our invention; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same with the links and the connecting devices in different relative positions; and Fig. 8 is a side elevation with certain of the links turned into positions at right angles tothe positions in which they are shown in Fig. 7 and being moved inwardly of the link to which they are connected to permitdisconnection of the said links.

teferring to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings,-1 designates a link consisting of two members a and b in general parallel spaced relation with respect to each other. Each of the said members a and b is slotted, as indicated at 2. T he slot in each member extends the greater. portion of the length of such link terminating at points relatively near to the ends thereof in curved ends. The

sides of the said slot are straight, as shown.

in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The central portions of the inner sides of each of these members a and I) are recessed, as indicated at 3, thereby forming shoulders l at points situated relatively short distances from the ends of said members. The outer sides of the members a and b are also recessed orcut away, as indicated at l, for the purpose oi removing unnecessary material thereby lightening the construction. Notches 5,

which extend transversely of the members.

a and b at their opposite ends and upon their outer sides, are forlned for a purpose to be hereinafter described. 10 designates a link consisting of two members cand d, slotted as, indicatec at 11, which members- Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

gle integral member, should such integral -.'structure be preferred. The links 1 and 10, as will be understood, alternate with each other. The ends of the links 10 in the chain structure are situated intermediate the adjacent ends of the members a, and b of links 1, as shown in the drawings. The

links are connected to each other by means of pintles 13 which extend through the slots 2 and 11in the links 1 and 10. The opposite ends of the pintles are provided with heads 15 of a length greater than the width of the slots 2 and 11, whereby when the pintles are in position and are turned with the said heads extending transversely of the links, as shown in Fig. 'l of the drawings, the ends of the" said heads occupy positions 'in the notches 5 in the outer sides of the opposite ends of the members a' and Z upon the opposite sides of the ends of the slots 2. The positioning of the ends of these heads in the said notches prevents the turning of the said pintles so as to place the said y heads in a position lengthwise of the slots inwardly toward the links 1, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, .inwhich position the enlarged opposite ends of the link 10 are positioned between the recessed portions 3 of the members a and Z) of the link 1, whereby the latter are permitted to be moved toward each other so as tov permit the turning of i the pintles to bring the heads thereof lengthwise of and in parallel relation to the links, asshown in said Figs. 2 and 3.

The slots 2 and 11 in the links registering with each other when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 permit the sliding ofthe pintles therethrough and the removal of the same from the. links, the said links being thereby disconnected from each other. Instead, however, of moving both members 0 and d of the links 10, as

shown in Figs. 2 and 3, one of thesaid members, for instance (Z, may be moved inwardly as shown in Fig. 4:, which, by

reason of the recesses 3 of the members a and b of the link 1 and the recess 12 in the member (1, permits movement of the parts a and 6 toward each other sufficient distances to permit the turning of the pintle 13 to bring the heads thereof lengthwise of and parallel with the slots 2 in the members a and b. The members a and (Z of the linksll are then turned so as to position thesame at right angles to the members aand b of a'link 1 and are then moved inwardly as shown inFig. 5 in order-to move the pintles into positions to permit the removal ofan adjacent member a or I) of the link 1.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, 20 designates links comprising members 6 and f, the outer sides of the central portions thereof being recessed or cut away, as indicated at 21, for the purpose of removing unnecessary weight and thereby lightening the structure. The members e and f are provided with slots 22 for a'purpose to be h'ereinafter described. 24tdesignatesa link'comprising two members 9 and hhaving slots 25 therein and also having the central 1nside portions recessed, as indicated at 26, v

to form shoulders 27. The'depth of these shoulders is such, that when one of the members g or it is moved inwardly so-that one of the shoulders 27 thereof is situated beyond the adjacent overlapped end of the other member, as shown in Fig. 7, with the relatively thick end portion of such last mentioned member, for example, It, in contact with the relatively thin portion of the other member 9, the members a and f of the link may be moved toward each other to 'the positions shown in Fig. 7. As in the constructions shown in Figs. lto 5 of the drawings, the links are connected-together by means of pintles 28 having elongated heads 29 the opposite ends of which normally occupy the notches 23 in the eppos ite j ends of the members 6 and of llnks former may be brought into positions lengthwise of andin', parallel relation'with' the slots in the members 6 and To remove the pintles and thus disconnect the ends of any two adjacent links, the members g and It of a link are moved into the posi-' tions with respect to each other shown in Fig. 7 and are turned into positions at right angles to a link 20 and are'then moved inwardly so as to carry the pintles into positions to permit the removal of one of the members 6 or f in a manner clearly in dieated in Fig. 8 cit-the drawings.-

lVe claimzl 1. A chain comprising links consistingof members spaced apart, the said members having longitudinal slots thereinand being provided upon their outer sides at their opposite ends with notches extending transrerselythereof across the'ends of the said slots, and the inner sides of the central por-' tions of the said members being recessed as described, links alternating with the first named links and having longitudinal slots therein and the ends thereof occupying positions intermediate theadjacent ends of the first named links, pintles extending through the slots in the overlapping ends of the said links to pivotally'connecbthe. same to gether, the said pintles having heads-which occupy the notches aforesaid and the said second namedlinks respectively having the central portions of their outer sides re-- cessed as described, whereby when the said second named links are moved inwardly with respect to the first named links so that their widen end portions occupy the space between the recessed central portions of the members of the'first named links said latter members may be moved toward, each other to permit the turningv and the removal of the pintles.

2. A chain, alternatelinks of which consist of two members spaced apartfthe said members being provided with slots extending longitudinally thereof and also having transverse notches upon their outer sides at their-opposite ends which notches extend across the outer ends ofsaid slots and the central inside portions of the said members being recessed, other links alternating with the first named links and, having slots ex tending longitudinally thereof and'having their opposite ends positioned between adjacent ends ofthe members of. the first named liIlkS,PlIli}l8S extending through the slots in the adjacent overlapping ends of the said links, the said pintles having heads upon their outer ends whichnormelly occupy the said notches, and each of the said second namedlinks being recessed ilpon their outer sides whereby their opposite end portions are of a thickness considerably greater than their central portions and whereby when one-end portion of one of the said second named links is. moved longitudinally toward one of the adjacent first named links the Inem'b'ers of the letter are permitted to approach each other whereby 15 the connecting .pintle' may be removed.

Intestimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention We have hereunto slgne 

